KOCF Ch 07. The preparations for ‘Speed’ have begun. (Patreon)

Hollywood: King of the Commercial Films

Ch 07. The preparations for ‘Speed’ have begun.

“Duke, I’d like you to meet Robin Grand.”

In the conference room of Lucasfilm, George Lucas introduces a middle-aged man named Robin to Duke, saying, “Robin is the production manager hired by Lucasfilm for the movie ‘Speed’.”

“Hey, Duke.”

The other party stood up first, extending his hand for a handshake. “I have seen the short video you compiled,” he said, his voice filled with admiration. “It was truly impressive.”

“Nice to meet you, Robin,” Duke said with a warm smile.

Duke stood up, his hand reaching across the long conference table to shake hands with him, as he confidently stated, “I believe this marks the beginning of a promising collaboration.”

Lucasfilm wasted no time after notifying Duke to attend the first meeting; within just over a week, the well-established film studio had already begun the preparatory work and reached out to several important crews.

Lucasfilm’s confidence in this movie was clearly demonstrated by the breakneck pace at which everything moved.

Robin Grande, as the future spokesperson of George Lucas in the crew, unquestionably holds significant influence.

Duke will only receive a Newcomer Directors Pay since he has not signed a formal director contract with Lucasfilm.

“You will be compensated with a generous director’s salary of $120,000.”

Robin looked at Duke and noticed his silent response. Undeterred, Robin pressed on, “We will pay an initial sum of 50,000 US dollars.”

“Upon completion of the movie’s filming, you will be given an immediate payment of 50,000 US dollars, while the remaining amount will be settled once the movie finishes its run in theaters across North America.”

Duke acknowledges that this is a typical Hollywood practice, and he is completely fine with it.

After that, Robin Grand discussed the responsibilities and powers of directors. Alongside Duke’s own requirements, he will actively contribute to crew preparation, film preparation, and various other aspects. However, as is customary for new directors, he has the authority to voice opinions and offer suggestions, but the final decision rests elsewhere.

In addition, he holds the power to personally push forward someone for main actors. Duke has the freedom to offer suggestions, but lacks the authority to make final decisions.

“I really hope you can consider my actor suggestions.”

Duke will go to great lengths to ensure he obtains the rights he deserves, staying within reasonable boundaries.

“I request to be involved in the special effects, post-production, and editing of the movie, as it is my passion and area of expertise. Please consider the suggestions I’ve made.”

Editing is everything when it comes to a film’s success. Duke understands that he won’t be granted the final editing rights, but he remains determined to make the film as close to his desired editing vision as he can.

Robin Grand does not have the necessary power to handle these requirements. As he glanced over, he noticed George Lucas sitting nearby, absorbed in his own thoughts.

“Just make sure your suggestion is reasonable.” George Lucas didn’t actually mean to say no.

Duke let out a sigh of relief. A new director rarely has this much power. During post-production in Hollywood, directors are frequently left out of the final editing decisions, let alone having any say in the final cut.

“And one more thing,” he said, his words hanging in the air, leaving a sense of anticipation.

When the meeting was on the verge of wrapping up, Duke gathered his courage and made a tentative plea, “Uncle George...or, um, George. I was wondering if you could take my starting salary of $100,000 and invest it in the film’s production expenses...”

“Oh, so you’re looking for a cut of the movie’s profits?” George Lucas tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as he studied him.

Sensing the impracticality of his request, Duke performed a few superficial gestures and swiftly abandoned these unreliable notions.

However, to his surprise, when he signed a formal director contract with Lucasfilm in the afternoon, accompanied by his mother’s lawyer, he discovered that the profit sharing clause he had requested had been included in the additional terms of the film.

Of course, one can only allocate this small amount of money after deducting various fees such as theater chains and publishers.

As soon as he signed his name on the two-part contract, Duke was overcome by an eerie, unsettling feeling. He had more control and power over the filming, didn’t he?

But this is a good thing, isn’t it?

George Lucas, as a producer, oversees the overall vision while the production team, led by Robin Grande, handles the specific details.

Robin will be assisting in all aspects of the film, from pre-production to shooting and production. Robin’s responsibilities include overseeing the film crew and coordinating future encounters with the Duke.

With a tentative budget of 15 million U.S. dollars, the film has already received an initial funding of 10 million U.S. dollars.

While walking out with Duke, Robin Grand’s conversation revolved around the extensive preparatory work. It was evident that George Lucas had instructed him to teach Duke, as a means of providing him with additional field experience.

“Lucasfilm is about to secure the final $5 million to fund our studio, which will be in West Hollywood close to Santa Monica.”

“What is the name of the studio?” Duke inquired.

“We have not yet decided,” Robin Grand shrugged, his voice filled with uncertainty.

“How about ‘speed’?” Duke pushed forward his recommendation.

“It is not a bad name for a studio,” he commented.

They chatted for a while, strolling side by side towards the parking lot, before climbing into their separate vehicles and driving away from the studio.

With his job as a temporary worker behind him, Duke eagerly headed to West Hollywood’s ‘Speed’ studio each day, ready to report on time for the film production.

The studio system is essentially the way major Hollywood companies operate.

For every high-investment film project, the production company establishes a corresponding studio to oversee funding, preparation, personnel, shooting, advertising, sponsorship, and other related aspects.

Some movie projects, such as sequels, can require movie studios to be established for more than a decade.

The pre-production and post-production stages of a film can often be more laborious than the actual shooting, especially for commercial productions with elaborate scenes.

With its extensive background and undeniable charm, Lucasfilm holds a prominent position in the industry.

In a span of just over ten days, the newly established ‘Speed’ studio has managed to secure contracts for photography, setting, lighting, makeup, clothing, and art direction. Notably, many of these contracts were awarded to individuals with extensive experience working alongside Lucasfilm.

Within Lucasfilm, there are numerous internal positions that can be filled. As an example, the production of the movie’s soundtrack was entrusted to ‘Skywalker sound’, known for their exceptional sound design and The movie’s special effects production was handled by ‘Industrial Light and Magic’, renowned for their expertise in the field.

The director is closely involved in the entire preparatory process. The film requires a lens language that captures the essence of the story. Additionally, the actors’ performances may influence the overall impact of the film. The studio and other departments must be inspected to determine the appropriate lighting setup.

Post-editing ideas need to be clarified to enhance the final product. Furthermore, the movie’s music and possibly even the dubbing by Skywalker’s sound should be discussed.

In the early stages, Duke needs to be ready for a demanding workload.

All the necessary tasks, such as leasing the property and arranging transportation to the venue, building the venues according to Duke’s recommendations, contacting affordable car rental companies, and identifying suitable roads and locations, will be handled by skilled professionals.

Lucasfilm’s assembly line production combines cooperation and specialization to create a unique and efficient process.

Within the next month, Duke managed to accomplish the majority of the sketches for the shots. The film’s preparatory work was only halfway through, but the excitement in the air was palpable as everyone worked diligently to bring their vision to life.

Robin Grand has stated that the shooting of the film will not begin until the middle of September.

“We’re gonna have at least five huge explosion scenes in the shooting.”

At the meeting of the crew, Duke stated his request, “The opening scene should have two explosions, and the bus needs to crash into the plane. The importance of this scene cannot be overstated. To shoot the airplane scene, we can utilize a scaled-down model on the set.”

He needs to save money wherever possible. There’s no other way. “It is possible to film the bus explosion and house explosion scenes on the set, ensuring a powerful impact.”

“Director Duke, hold on a second.”

One of Robin Grand’s underlings said, “The street explosion got the green light.”

“I’m trying to find a house that would work for the explosion scene.”

Someone else said, “We have someone checking records at City Hall, searching for remote houses in LA that are gonna get demolished.”

“We’re currently working on the model sets for the production.”

When Duke looked over, he heard the head of the Industrial light and Magic special effects team assure him, “It will definitely not impact your shooting plan.”

At first glance, the meeting seemed to have a pleasant atmosphere. Duke understood that there was no way he could change the minds of the crew here. The crew consisted mainly of experienced Hollywood professionals who had previously collaborated with Lucasfilms.

These people were highly skilled. Lucas also faced challenges when dealing with them.

Duke is indifferent towards the ideas of these individuals as well. Apart from George Lucas, he lacks any other form of support in this situation. He believes that demonstrating his competence at work will not be enough to win over this highly skilled and influential group.

The elite individuals possessed strict criteria, and their uncertainties of the movie and frequent conflicts can persist until the team dissolves.

Specifically, Duke spent over a decade working in the field and on film sets, ultimately achieving the level of director with a ten million dollar investment. He could imagine their mindset of being experts in their field.

These hold no significance for Duke.

He doesn’t mind as long as he can maintain the working relationship without impacting the film’s production. Right now, what he really needs is a successful film and its release!

In Hollywood, a Director who achieves success can have a profound impact and bring about various transformations.

Duke is not the same as before.

Although he doesn’t want to lay off any employees, he does have the financial resources to establish his own production team. While filming in the future, his goal is to reduce the internal conflicts that are bound to happen among the film crew.

Special effects for the production set were a topic of discussion among the crew as well. Over time, Robin Grande, the most powerful individual in this office, gradually assumed control and became the primary voice in the set.

With the pre-production phase of the movie nearing completion, the next item on the agenda is the careful selection of appropriate lead actors.

The office, which had been temporarily converted into a meeting room, was emptied by everyone except Duke, two associate directors, and several producers, including Robin Grand.

“I believe Keanu Reeves would be an excellent fit as the Lead actor in ‘Speed’.” Duke was the first to speak once Robin’s assistant had distributed coffee to everyone.

“Even though he’s not the best actor, it’s fine because our main character has a serious expression all the way through and Keanu has an excellent reputation. In addition, his salary is affordable for us.”

“I have watched his previous works and had the pleasure of meeting him in person.”

Kone assumed the position of the first assistant director.

He has close to a decade of industry experience. At that moment, he expressed differing viewpoints.

“Keanu Reeves is way too thin! Remember, it’s an action flick. You need some serious muscles to capture the essence of Action movies!”

Duke glanced at Kone and didn’t feel like disagreeing. This wasn’t the first time the Kone didn’t see eye to eye with him.

“Here’s the plan: let’s incorporate Keanu Reeves into the audition and extend an invitation to his agent.” Robin Grande eagerly seized the topic, “Over the course of the next two weeks, our primary task is to make the final decisions on the hero, heroine, main supporting roles, and antagonist.”

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[~2101 Words]